Air transfer device



`Ham, 7, 1941. Aw. B. o'BRlE-NNJR 2,227,501

AIR TRANSFER DEVICE Filed July a, 1939 HI f Patented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED sTATEs PATENT orFlcE I AIR DEVICE l William B. OBrien, Jr., Port Huron, Mich.

v Application July s, 1939, serial Nq. 283,477

4 claims.R '(01, 15a-415) rThis invention relates generally to devices for leaks and these often develop when .standing for considerable periods of time and often occur when far from service stations requiring either inflating of the tire with a hand pump or requiring a change of tires. To change tires takes con- 10 siderable time, is troublesome and the motorist changing the tire usually gets his hands and clothing soiled even where the tires or wheels are readily demouxrtable. Several deportable devices in addition to hand pumps have been pro- 15 posed for iniiating tires, such as for example, air pumps operated by the vehicle engine, but these devices have been expensive. heavy and cumbersome, get out of Aorder and generally have not been entirely satisfactory. 2li Accordingly, it is an object ofthe present invention to provide a simple, lightweight, inexpensive device by means of which a deflated or partially deflated tire may be inflated at least sufliciently to permit the operator of the vehicle to 25 drive to a service station without damage to the tire.

The present device is particularly eiective with modern low pressure tires because fthe relatively low normal tire pressure makes it entirely pracu ticai and harmless to maintain twice the normal pressure in the spare tire of a motor vehicle with the result that some of the air under relatively high pressure in the spare tire can be readily transferred by the present device to a deflated 35 tire and when a condition of balance is obtained both tires involved may have substantially nora mal pressure. The vehicle may then be operated for a reasonable time and permanent tire repairs 4 may be made more conveniently later. The spare 4u tire is then still available for service with normal pressure.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of "a motor vehicle and, illustrating how my device may be employed to i5 increase the pressure in a tire of the vehicle, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of my device partly broken away and in section.

Referring to the drawing by characters of refterence, the numeral I designates generally, a d motor vehicle havingl on its wheels the usual pneumatic tires II and having a spare tire I2 which, in the present instance, is carried in a rear compartment I3 of the vehicle body. The tires have the usual hollow stems I4 provided each 55 with a check valve which are well known devices and are, therefore, not shown in detail, the valves being biased toward closed positions and each having a stem I5 which may be pushed in to unseat the valve to release air from the tire.

My device comprises in general a flexible tube, o preferably a rubber hose I6 and two connections or fittings I'I and I'Ia secured on opposite ends thereof. In use, assuming that one of the tires on the vehicle is flat or requires an increase in pressure, the fitting I1 is connected to the hollow 10 stem I4 of the deflated tire and the other fitting or fitting I'l is connected lto the hollow stem. of the spare tire I2 to transfer air from the latter to the deiiated tire. Of course, to effect a transfer of air to the deflated tire, the pressure in the spare tire must be greater than atmospheric and upon such transfer the pressure in the two tires may be balanced or, if desired, only some ofthe air may be transferred from the spare tire to the relatively low pressure tire. The tting II which is attached to the hollow stem of the deflated tire is preferably internally threaded to screwthread thereon, and within the fitting is an air seal member I8 having an extended portion I8a which on attaching the fitting to the hollow stem moves the stem inwardly to unseat fthe air check valve. The other fitting Il, which is adapted for attachment to the inated spare tire, is provided therein with a pressure actuated check valve I9 to prevent loss of air from the tire just inated when the fitting isremoved from the stem of the spare tire. The check valve I9 is provided with a reduced stem portion 2li4 which extends through a relatively large aperture or port 2i in a resilient seat member 22 which is secured in the fitting, the valve 35 IS having a second and oppositely directed stem portion 23 which is slidably received in the bore 24 of an air seal member 25. lIn the seal member, a bore 26 is provided for passage of air from yport 2| to the bore 24, such passage of air, of 40 course, only being possible when the valve I9 is away from its seat 22 or in the position shown in Fig. 2. In Ithe tube I6, a pressure gage 21 is provided for indicatingthe pressure in the inated tire by reason of the transfer of air thereto froma relatively high pressure tire. It will be seen that as desired, or if necessary, the' herein described device may be connected to different tires on the wheels of the vehicle, for examplethe stems I4 in Fig. 2 could be the stems ofl the 50v two front tires or of the two rear tires or of a front and rear tire, whereby the pressure could be balanced in, or the air be equally distributed between, all of the tires on the vehicle and, ordinarily the pressure in each tire would be suicient to permit driving of the vehicle to a service station without damage to the tires.

In using the herein described device, the iitting I1 is first attached to the tire to be inflated or to be further inated and then the iitting .Il

is attached to the spare tire or tire oi relatively high pressure. Upon screwthreading the fitting I1 on the low pressure tire, the extension I9 engaging the valve stem I5 unseats the valve and if the air pressure in the deiiated tire is above atmospheric, the pressure will seat valve I9, Iiihus y preventing loss of air from a partially iniiated tire. the spare tire stern or onto the stem of any of the other tires having a relatively high air pressure,`

-tire just inflated. Ii the spare tire is carrying more than normal pressure, which it could easily do, as'previouslymentioned, the gage 21 will indicate when the formerly deflated tire has the proper pressure after the iltting III is removed.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive, light weight, portable device by means of which air may be readily transferred from a tire having a relatively high air pressure to one having a relatively low air pressure. This device is not only less trouble to use than a hand pump, or less trouble than to change tires, but is less expensive than such pumps, saves time, saves eiiort, and may be used without getting the users hands and clothing soiled.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is: n

1. A device for transferring air under pressure from one inatable member having a hollow stem and a check valve therein to another inflatable member having a hollow stem and a check valve therein, comprising a exibie tube, a tting on one end of the tube for attachment to one of the hollow stems, means within said iltting and operable' to open the check valve therein upon attachment of the iltting to the stem, a second iitting on the other end oi said tube for attachment to the stem of the other iniiatable member, and means within said second-named fitting for opening the check valve therein upon attachment of said second-named tting to the stem oi' the other inflatable member and pres- When the fitting I'Ia is screwthreaded onto sure-responsive valve means between said firstnamed valve opening means and said secondnamed valve opening means for controlling ow through said tube, said second-named valve opening means and said pressure responsive means being integral.

-2. A portable device for transferring air from a pneumatic tire of relatively high pressure having a check valve to a pneumatic tire of relatively low pressure having a check valve comprising, a fitting for connection to the relatively low pressure' tire, means carried by said fitting for opening the valve of the low pressure tire, a fitting for connection to the high pressure tire, means connecting said iirst-named fitting and said second-named tting, means carried by said second-named fitting for opening the valve of the high pressure tire, and pressure responsive valve means carried by said second-named tting and operable to prevent escape of air oi the low pressure tire from said second-named fitting.

3. A portable device for transferring air from one pneumatic tire having a hollow stem provided with an air check valve to another pneumatic tire having a hollow stem provided with an air check' valve comprising, a iitting for communication with the stem of one of the tires, a

tting i'or communication with the stem of the other of the tires, means connecting said rstnamed iitting and said second-named fitting together, means carried by one of said ttings and operable to open the check valve of the tire to which s/aid fitting is applied, means carried by the er of said ittings and operable for opening he check valve of the other of the tires, and e-responsive means carried by one of said iitti gs and operable to prevent escape of air ther om when only the other tting is connected to the stem of a tire.

4. A portable device for transferring air from. one pneumatic tire of relatively high pressure having a stem provided with an air check valve to another pneumatic tire of relatively low pressure having a stem provided with an air valve comprising. a iitting for screwthreaded connection to the stem of one of the tires, means carried by .and within said tting for unseating the check valve in the stem of said one tire, a second iltting for communication with the stem of the other tire, a tube connecting said fittings together, means carried by and within said secondnamed iitting for unseatin'g the valve in the stem of said other tire, saidlast-named means being pressure responsive and operable to prevent escape of air from said second-named tting when only the iirst-named fitting is in communication with the stem of a tire.

WILLIAM B. OBRIEN, Ja. 

